Gravitation force of a disk with a hole

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the gravitational force exerted by a disk with a hole, specifically how the presence of a hollow region affects the force calculation. The original poster has derived an equation for a solid disk and is exploring modifications to this equation when a hole is introduced.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Conceptual clarification

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the implications of introducing a hole in the disk, questioning whether the gravitational force can still be modeled similarly to that of a solid disk. There are attempts to redefine the area and radius in the context of the new shape. Some participants suggest modeling the disk as a combination of two disks, one with positive mass and one with negative mass.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants providing insights and corrections regarding the original equation. There is a recognition of the need to adjust the formula based on the new configuration of the disk, and some guidance has been offered on how to approach the problem using the concept of superposition of masses.

Contextual Notes

Participants note potential issues with the original formula, including discontinuities and undefined behavior at certain points. There is also a mention of the need for clearer variable definitions and sketches to aid understanding.

toony12362
Messages
3
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


[/B]Hello, I have derived the equation for the gravitational force for a disk to be
2Ggm/a^2(1-x/sqrt(a^2 - x^2) when an object is added on top of the system. My question is would the force still be somewhat similar if the disk now had a small hollow of radius c and from the center to the end of the disk the distance is d?

The Attempt at a Solution


Im assuming it will be and that the only difference I would make is that my radius is now (d-c) or my new area would now be da = 2 * pi * (d^2 - c^2) but I am not sure if that logic makes sense.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
A sketch or at least a description of the variables would help.
The expression has mismatching brackets.

A disk with an empty interior can be described as sum of a larger disk with positive mass and a smaller disk with negative mass.
 
Sorry! Here is a sketch. I am assumning if we have a regular disk then the gravitational force can be modeled by the force equation in the diagram!
Tt7n5MV.png


Now if we have a disk with an empty interior of radius b like this figure
MuqfXnu.png


Would the only thing that change in my equation would now be the radius? That the new radius would be (a -b) or would it be my area such that A = pi*b^2 - pi * a^2 or A=pi * (b-a)^2
 
toony12362 said:
2Ggm/a^2(1-x/sqrt(a^2 - x^2)
From your second post, I gather that is:
##\frac{2Ggm}{a^2}\left(1-\frac x{\sqrt{a^2 - x^2}}\right)##
But that cannot be right. When x=0 the force should be 0.
 
@haruspex: The force is discontinuous at x=0 for an ideal disk, the formula is for x>0.
toony12362 said:
Would the only thing that change in my equation would now be the radius?
No, but you can model the force as sum of two disks, one with a positive and one with a negative mass.

The square root in your formula cannot be correct - it becomes undefined for x>a.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: haruspex
mfb said:
@haruspex: The force is discontinuous at x=0 for an ideal disk, the formula is for x>0.No, but you can model the force as sum of two disks, one with a positive and one with a negative mass.

The square root in your formula cannot be correct - it becomes undefined for x>a.
Does this mean the force is just F= F_actual_mass_with_radius_b - F_negative_mass_with_radius_a?
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
Replies
4
Views
4K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
  • · Replies 24 ·
Replies
24
Views
3K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Replies
30
Views
4K
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 9 ·
Replies
9
Views
3K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K